Headout: Space Christ

The Alien Nativity is out of this world.

In December 2010, Matt Henderson wanted to have a
Christmas open house—an all-inclusive, meet-the-neighbors affair. But
Henderson’s house is a small former church in Northeast Portland, so the
visual artist and drummer called some friends, made some costumes and
held a live nativity, papier-mâché animals and all. “All the
participants were more or less professed nontheists, [but] we tried to
approach it somewhat seriously,” he says. “We posed for periods of 10-
to 20-minute blocks for a couple hours. There was classical Christmas
music playing in the background, and we served hot chocolate.”

This year, Henderson
decided to go for something bigger. He was considering a neon nativity
until Halloween, when he had his friend Lauren Carter make a “giant
alien head” to fill the empty shrine space above the church’s stage.
“This alien head is so bad-ass that it occurred to me that we should do
an alien nativity,” he says. Yes, alien, with a mirrored manger,
xenomorph Santa and extraterrestrial magi. When I called Henderson, he
was shopping for “androgynous-looking” mannequins to represent Mary and
Joseph. “I always like to highlight the fact that there is no one
definitive history—that the story of Jesus is no more plausible than
some of these alternate histories that are not accepted but nonetheless
compelling,” he says. The key verb is “highlight”: Visitors will be
issued diffractive glasses and ushered through a series of archways lit
with randomly flashing LEDs. The result should be an experience akin to a
Christmas rave hosted by Art Bell. I’ll see you there.

Headout Picks

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 21

IN MULIERIBUS[MUSIC] This seven-member all-female
vocal ensemble, drawn from Portland’s pre-eminent large choirs, will
sing some of the Renaissance’s most beautiful music, by composers such
as Palestrina, Dufay and Praetorius, along with the world premiere of a
new work, Lux ex Nocte, that the group commissioned from Colorado composer Richard Toensing. St. Philip Neri Church, 2408 SE 16th Ave., inmulieribus.org. 7:30 pm. $12-$20.

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN 3D[MOVIES] Exactly how popular is Tintin,
the boy reporter who travels the world with Captain Haddock in the
Belgian comic? This was debated in our office. Exactly how good is
Steven Spielberg’s movie adaptation? Real good. Various locations including Century 16 Eastport Plaza, 4040 SE 82nd Ave., 772-1111. Multiple showtimes. $13.

WOODY ALLEN AND HIS NEW ORLEANS JAZZ BAND[MUSIC] Woody Allen is in the midst of his third or fourth career resurrection thanks to a massively successful film (Midnight In Paris)
and a great documentary about him that appeared recently on PBS. What
better time then to take a quick jaunt around the U.S. with his New
Orleans Jazz Band? Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 248-4335. 7:30 pm. $55-$97.